Mama's Stuffing

Everyone has their own Thanksgiving traditions and go-to recipes. The one I'm sharing today is dear to my heart. It's my mama's stuffing. This was a recipe passed down from her mother. This stuffing recipe does not require cubed bread in a bag. In this recipe you actually make your own cubed bread! Its simple flavors that make this stuffing so savory. No need to add meat or seafood. It's a vegetarian style stuffing, and maybe that's just one of the many reasons why I love this stuffing so much! The best part about this recipe is that it can be modified to accommodate people with a gluten allergy. For instance, my cousin had a gluten allergy. My mom makes our cousin her own turkey breast with her very own gluten free stuffing. She uses a gluten free bread and gluten free chicken broth. To ensure she does not cross-contaminate the stuffing mix she lines a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toast the bread in the oven. Keep this in mind if you have guest attending Thanksgiving who have a gluten allergy. They don't have to miss out on stuffing. 

Source: Katie Original

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 loaf of honey-wheat bread

1/2 cup +/- chicken broth

2 tbsp butter + 1 additional tbsp

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 tbsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Toast the loaf of bread and set aside. Once all the bread is toasted, using your hands tear apart the bread. 

2. Next in a medium size pot add butter, and melt. Then add celery, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until translucent. Then add in the chicken broth. *I've added a plus or minus to this recipe because this is the first time we have written the recipe down. We always just make it from memory. You may need more broth. Ideally all of the stuffing should become moist. If you find after the half cup that only half of the stuffing is moist then add more. You don't want the broth to sit at the bottom. 

3. Next, in a large bowl add your torn bread and the chicken broth mixture. Slowly add and mix. Like I stated above you may need more broth or less. My guess is that you will need a little more broth. Mix well until combined. Place in a casserole dish and top with a pat of butter. 

4. Cook for 20 minutes with casserole dish lid on. Then take the lid off and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the stuffing is hot. Make sure you don't burn the top of the stuffing. You just want to get it crispy. 

*You can make the stuffing up to 2 days ahead of time. Make sure you keep it refrigerated until your ready to cook it!